Saint Antias
Saint Antias was an Imperial citizen from the cardinal world Hadranoh III who became a missionary after the ascension of Sebastian Thor and was eventually martyred in 319.M36 for his fate. Saint Antias was beautified almost instantly after his death because of the miracle of proselytization he performed after his death on the world Hos Elwor - which was later renamed as Saint Antias' Hope. Revered by billions within Vigilius sector, he is most importantly patron of choirs and singers. History Early life Antias was born on Hadranoh III circa 268.M36 and was abandoned by his parents into the Community of the Octave. Community was an orphanage run by the monastic order known as the Hjandalian Order, which had a reputation of raising the best choirs within Guberniya of Carollon. Antias was brought up within the Hall'r Hall monastery that was part of the massive monastery complex of the Clearing of Cleansing which was a hub for the members of Ecclesiarchy within the Guberniya. Antias began to serve the monastery complex at the age of three or four by cleaning and keeping the gardens. He also began his singing practices at the age of four, as was customary, and at the age of seven he was allowed to assist lower clergies of the Ecclesiarchy. Within the monasteries of the Clearing of Cleansing the young Antias was taught the practices that ran the Ecclesiarchy from within. He proved himself as a shrewd child and a keen listener which made Abbot Emile Havnor of Hall'r Hall very interested about him. Abbot of the Hall'r Hall took Antias as his protege. Rise of the Goge Vandire and his Reign of Blood happened in its earnest during the early childhood of Antias. Temple of the Savior Emperor was highly regarded on Hadranoh III and many civilians were formed into Frateris Templar auxiliaries by militaristic confessors and preachers. News of the Storm of the Emperor's Wrath and the fall of the High Lord created a worldwide panic on Hadranoh III and the frateris troops recruited everyone who could carry a gun as an imminent storm was approaching. Abbot Havnor refused to aid the frateris troops because the members of his monastery were castrati - and according to traditions within Guberniya - not fit to fight. Frateris troops still loyal to the Mad Lord Vandire were attacked by White Tigers space marine chapter who performed a spectacular drop pod assault on world. It took weeks to cull the frateris troops from within the cities of Hadranoh III but eventually remaining troops surrendered in a hope of survival. Chapter Master Azarang rounded the surrendered thirty thousand troopers in the Clearing of Cleansing and executed them by burning. Antias, aging twelve years, had the best view on the human bonfire that marked the end of the Purging of Hadranoh. Youth Allegedly Antias received a vision of his prominent future and he requested Abbot Havnor's aid in becoming a missionary for a great passion had descended into his soul. Abbot Havnor arranged his young protege into Schola Progenium Heios, which was the most highly regarded Schola within Guberniya of Carollon. Drill Abbot Rescandieun of Schola Progenium Heios allowed the passionate Antias into the school and in 282.M36 he moved on Heios. As Antias had been castrated before puberty, as was the custom within the Hjandalian Order, he was not allowedEven pre-puberty castrated men can perform well in tasks requiring a good physical condition. On Schola Progenium Heios it has been a custom not to allow castrated men into the military programs of Adeptus Arbites and Tempestus Scions. to train with the more physically orientated cadets who headed for Adeptus Arbites and Tempestus Scions. Private teaching of Abbot Havnor had allowed Antias to learn a wide range of customs and habits within Ecclesiarchy and that gave him an edge within the Schola. Delving deep into the divine nature of the Emperor and into the obscene blasphemies customary on non-Imperial worlds he became well versed with the great variety of beliefs that men harbored within the galaxy. Castrati only rarely participated in the Schola Progenium Heios' programs and he was favored by some of the professors into great extend because of his peculiarity. Antias was known to give private performances for some of the professors and he was even given his own chambers. Recommended by a number of highly regarded and well-known professors of Schola Progenium Heios, Antias was transferred into the cardinal world d'Anglos Prime in 288.M36 at the age of 20 Terran years. Antias took part in the bureaucratic regime of d'Anglos Prime and was allowed to operate with the Ecclesiarchal witch hunters that were the trademark of the hardline puritan d'Anglos Prime. Antias was recruited by a group of witch hunters as their clerk and traveled on the world of Phoens which was known to harbor mutants and other abominations within its toxic slum areas. For three years Antias served the witch hunter group as they hunted the unwanted in the slums of Phoens, irradiated wastes of Luthien and the slave markets of Prosphorant until the witch hunters' operations were terminated by Inquisitor Feldwaner of Ordo Hereticus. Unlike the witch hunters who were sent back on d'Anglos Prime, Antias was recruited by Inquisitor Feldwaner and served him for a while. In 293.M36 he was allowed to leave the inquisitor's service as he took a pilgrimage on the shrine world Xaladras in Ver Cluster. He was finally recruited by the representative of Missionaria Galaxia in 294.M36 on Xaladras. Missionaria Galaxia It was soon realised by the members on board the Defiant class caravel Winrich''Named after Winrich Carollon. that Antias was not just anyone recruited for labor purposes on board but a talented, learned and experienced member of the Ecclesiarchy from Hadranoh III. He was officially recruited as a missionary by Elder Missionary Dragutin on Winrich and recruited as part of the main crew. Elder Missionary Dragutin was an old man in his nineties and had already been on multiple Missionaria Galaxia missions. He was elevated into the position of an elder missionary few years before and since then he had pooled resources together to mount a mission. During the long years of service Elder Missionary Dragutin had moved from the Eastern Fringe towards the galactic core and in his old age he wished to return to his roots. He had been recruited in 205.M36 from the world of Hos Elwor by a hopeful confessor-militant when he decided to follow the words of the Emperor. Frontier world Hos Elwor had not been successfully converted during the third century and Elder Missionary Dragutin felt as that job was just waiting for him. Long voyage from Ver Cluster to Vigilius sector began and not before the late 295.M36 caravel Winrich arrived in the orbit of Hos Elwor. Hos Elwor was nominally part of the Arteside-Vigile sub-sector, even if it hadn't been successfully introduced into the Imperial Creed. It was also located a bit off the main warp lane from Magna Cupal to Arteside Major which had kept the planet unimportant and made the planetary governor lax in his duties. Governor ''Marjan Stefanovic was middle aged Administratum legislative who resided in the space station located in the world's high orbit. Automated mining equipment on world were more than able to fill the tithe all by themselves which had caused the governor to be a little more than an overseer of an endless mining operations. Elder Missionary Dragutin made the orbital station as the base of operations on planet because of its convenient location and informed the planetary governor of the future changes that would be happening. Hos Elwor Missionary Antias made planetfall in early 296.M36 and began to build a monastery rock by rock into the outskirts of the city called Bergan. He was in charge of a group of fifty Imperial citizens who had wanted to give their life for the cause and together they established the Priory of Aolis. Duke of Bergan had no qualms with the Imperial missionaries and allowed the Imperials to spread their religion within his domain. Missionary Antias began his duties as a provost of Aolis which became the first established parish on Hos Elwor. Other attempts made by the same mission in other cities on world proved to be something between a failure and a fiasco. Feudal lords on Hos Elwor held superstitions and religions in low esteem and missionaries and preachers were constantly apprehended and sentenced. Sentences varied from banishment to public humiliation such as iron branding or shame-stroking, and to death. Duke Bor of Bergan on the other hand was welcoming for the Imperial influence and was known to attend the masses concluded within the priory and public sermons of Antias. Duke's actions also proved as an example for his subordinates who too began to attend the masses of the priory. In 300.M36 Antias requested land of Duke Bor so he could build a cathedral in the city. Duke agreed to donate the lands around the priory to it but only if Provost Antias would see his sons to become servants of the Emperor. Elder Missionary Dragutin was impressed by Antias' achievements in Bergan, even if it was known beforehand that Bergan was more open-minded for Imperial influences. Antias' position as the provost of the Priory of Aolis was revoked and he was to travel in another city. Traveling by foot, Antias crossed the Futushe Mountains and arrived in the city of Axlea that harbored over three hundred thousand inhabitants. When he arrived in the city, the remains of the crucified Missionary Danilo were still rotting outside the city walls informing of the hospitality towards ambassadors of faith. Missionary Antias arrived the city in a guise of a calligraphy artist from Bergan and he settled in the riverside slums within the city walls. Aided by a paint-maker from Bergan he first set his shop and then started to sell his skills for the locals. Within the riverside slums he performed secret masses and proselytized those of lower social status into the faith. His skills in calligraphy became famed and he soon moved from the riverside slums into the merchant district where he began to seek those citizens who had already converted by Missionary Danilo before. His occupation allowed him to spread Imperial literature into the population and to spread the word about the Emperor into the upper class without directly endangering himself. After years of careful work he finally performed a public sermon so everyone could hear and see him. Lord Mayor Veselko of Axlea had him imprisoned and thrown into the oubliettes for agitation and lies. The public however demanded a trial for him and after few days Lord Mayor Veselko agreed on the demands by recommendations of the merchant guilds. Lord Mayor Veselko the "Lame" was a sullen, old and skeptic ruler with interests in money and trade. He had been injured in a war against the eastern city states twenty years before and rarely left his castle. Now he attended the grand square in a public trial where Antias stood as prosecuted for agitation. Lord Mayor Veselko recited his laws and reminded about the religious ban within the city. He accused Antias of attempting to create mass-hysteria by spreading lies and fictions into the heads of simple-minded people. When Antias began to talk he quoted the great minds of the Imperium such as Sebastian Thor and Primarch Guilliman. His words filled with such faith and undeniable truth turned Lord Mayor Veselko's head and he embraced the God Emperor by publicly declaring Axlea as the faithful state of the Master of Mankind. When these news reached Elder Missionary Dragutin he reported of the progress to the High Cardinal Astra of Vigilius. He instantaneously requested Missionary Antias to continue his journey into the rural areas of Axlea state and to head eastwards into the cities of Bion and Cleppon. Antias set on the countryside in 308.M36 after the events in Axlea. A great crowd followed him wherever he went and people fought to hear his bright voice when he preached of the Emperor. For two years he wandered in the rural areas of Axlea state until he departed for the city of Bion where rumors about a wandering preacher had already reached before him. Those missionaries who had hid themselves within the population in Bion joined with Antias as he arrived into the city. Antias led these missionaries into central locations of the city and told them what to say and not a single one of them was harmed yet hundreds became aware of the Emperor. Antias himself continued his journey to Cleppon where he repeated these actions. In the Cleppon Plaza a thousand people sang the praise of the Emperor in words they had never heard before. Death Elder Missionary Dragutin authorised the transference of higher level technology on planet for the use of the clergy. Soon those areas that had embraced the Imperial Truth had access to phones, dataslates, speakers and recorders. Completely astounded Governor Stefanovic assisted Elder Missionary Dragutin in providing tools and materials in construction of railroads and cathedrals. Rumors of Antias were spread across the known world as people rushed before him to announce about the arrival of the great prophet and followed behind him singing praises and psalms taught by him. Missionary Antias followed the tenets of humility and poverty laid out by Sebastian Thor and he never mounted a horse or other animals but always traveled by foot. His travels took him from sea to sea, from east to west and from north to south. Finally in 319.M36 he arrived in the city of Oxkeep. Located in the mountainous region of Axles, Oxkeep was a large city built on the Axles Coast. Ruled by King Cesius, Oxkeep was the capitol of the kingdom of Lydiclea that was one of the largest political entities on world. Its villages and towns in the north had already been visited and influenced by Antias' teachings but the capital did not look favorably at it. King Cesius was known to practice the old shamanistic beliefs that had once been dominant on Hos Elwor and so he found the news of a new religion not only troubling but also a blasphemy, a direct threat against his traditions, beliefs and country. With Missionary Antias, a thousand people arrived in the city. Songs were sung and as the citizens of Oxkeep took part in the procession, some out of sincere curiosity and some interested about the words of Antias, Antias rose in on a platform of a giant bull and began to preach. King Cesius, who had followed the progress of the mob following Antias from the high tower of his castle, flew into a rage. The Great Bull of Ancestors was one of the major deities of his heathen temple and to see Antias rising on the Great Bull's level made him act. City guards grasped their halberds and rifles and broke the crowd in the Plaza of the Great Bull. They separated Antias and his followers and apprehended the missionary. King Cesius ordered Antias to be placed in the cells beneath the castle of Oxkeep. People within the city were enraged by the treatment of their prophet and demanded King Cesius to free Antias. Seeing the devotion in the eyes of the commoners, King Cesius visited Antias' cells and engaged into a long theological debate with him. Even the High Priest Icsios of the Old Ways, who was an advisor of King Cesius, began to doubt the institution he represented and recommended King Cesius to release Antias. King Cesius' faith in the old ways was strong and all Antias managed to convince him about was that Antias needed to be executed. He could not believe the absurd tales about galactic empires or aliens or the Emperor, even if the existence of the Imperial mining equipment in Futushe Mountains were a widely known fact. In his mind there was no room for doubt in his beliefs, no other truths to accept. So after one week of imprisonment, a great flame was set under the Great Bull, for it was not just a statue but also a device of capital punishment in Oxkeep. Hollow, brazen bull was created in a way that the screams of those thrown inside were transformed into sad mellows of a bull. It was used solely for punishing of blasphemy or of disregarding the old ways. King Cesius dragged the naked Antias after his chariot to the Great Bull. The bull was surrounded by an enraged mob that was kept at bay by a large platoon of the city guard, faithful in their duties. The king rose on the platform next to the glowing bull and threw Antias within its fiery belly and slammed the hatch close laughing. Instead of sad mellows a bright voice reached the crowd from within the Great Bull. King Cesius stood in disbelief as he listened the Song of Eternal Praise echoing from within the fire-hot bull. Some of the crowd gathered was horrified, some infuriated yet some too began singing the psalm. Soon even those who had stayed in their homes in fear of prosecution or excessive violence came out and joined the crowd in the Plaza of the Great Bull. Choir of tens of thousands recited the words taught by Antias whose voice could be heard above everyone else's. Those who were deaf, were made to hear again and those who were blind were given the sight, so they could witness the miracle as the spirit of the Emperor descended among the people of Oxkeep. King Cesius flew in rage, grasped the hatch on the side of the Great Bull and opened it to end the false apostle's outrageous blasphemy. But as he opened the hatch, great flames emerged from the belly of the Great Bull setting him on fire. Such were the flames that burn Cesius that not before his whole body was charred into crumbling cinders did he stop screaming as if he had taken Antias' place. The faithful Imperial missionaries who had attended the execution now emerged from the crowds and the city guards did not stop them as they reached the Great Bull and tried to open the hatch. None of the missionaries could open the hatch and yet the singing from within continued as if Antias had been in his best shape. Elder Missionary Dragutin descended on world on an Aquila lander after receiving news from the members of Ecclesiarchy now guarding the Great Bull in the Oxkeep. Missionaries ran to Dragutin crying that they could not open the bull and save Antias but as Elder Missionary Dragutin heard the still echoing words of the psalm Blessed are His followers, he turned towards the missionaries and said; "Rejoice you fools! Can you not see? He has already been saved. Praised be the Emperor! Praised be His name!" Beautification Elder Missionary Dragutin requested Imperial troops to take control of the city of Oxkeep and with the aid of former High Priest Icsios, who had now embraced the Emperor, they made Oxkeep the capitol of Imperial Faith on Hos Elwor. As the bull had cooled down, the hatch opened by itself and the completely intact body of Antias was found inside. It was washed with incense and oils and placed in the catacombs beneath the Oxkeep castle. News of the miracle were carried to sector-synod and High Cardinal Astra Ava Pretorius of Vigilius by twelve missionaries of Missionaria Galaxia who had witnessed the miracle by themselves. Sector-synod beautified Antias instantly and the twelve missionaries continued their journey on Holy Terra and brought the matter in the hands of the Ecclesiastical Conclave. Antias was declared a saint in 322.M36 by the Holy Synod. Legacy Songs that were sung during the martyrdom of Saint Antias were written into their own songbook. That book was then distributed within the Vigilius and became the foremost source of religious songs among the preachers and priests of Vigilius. Ascension of Antias saw Hos Elwor's name changed to Saint Antias' Hope and a flow of pilgrims started to arrive on world. Beautification of Antias also spurred an interest towards castrati choirs that became commonplace on Saint Antias' Hope but on a number of other worlds within Vigilius too. Saint Antias' Hope was turned into a cardinal-governed shrine world in 320.M36 which resulted in that Governor Marjan Stefanovic was put out of office and former Elder Missionary Dragutin was elected as the cardinal of Saint Antias' Hope in 322.M36. Artifacts associated with Antias Common *'Carmina Antias' - songbook of Antias. *'Diaries of the High Priest' - collection of thoughts written by High Priest Isclios after he embraced the Emperor. Some members of the Ecclesiarchy find the contents too controversial as Isclios explains why, in his life, he looked for the false gods. For this reason the Diaries of the High Priest are not widely published. Unique *'Rosarius of Antias' - pendant in the shape of the Imperial Aquila, Antias' rosarius is held in the shrine of Saint Antias on Saint Antias' Hope. Notes Category:Imperial Saints Category:Adeptus Ministorum Category:Characters Category:Imperial Characters